Stepless change gear



May 17, 938 l A A MAURER 2,117,340

sTEPLEss CHANGE GEAR Filed May 29. 193e 2 sheets-sheet 1' May 17, 1938.

A. MAUR'ER STEPLESS CHANGE GAR' Filed May ze. 195e 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 za: @aeg Patented May 17, 1938` PATENT l. oFFlcE SEPLESS CHANGE GEAR Albrecht Maurer, Bad Homburg v. d. Hohe, Gcrmany, assignor to Firm P. I. V. Ketten' und Getriebe G. m. b. H., Bad Homburg v. d. Hohe, Germany, a corporation o! Germany Application May 2s, n1931s, sel-mino. 82,415 In Germany Jnne, 1935 .4 Claims.

This invention relates to continuously variable change speed gears comprising a compensating gearing, including aplanet systemwhich is connectedwlth the driving shaft. The device of the invention includes two sun wheels so arranged that both sun wheels are, driven at variable speeds. Particularly the two sun wheels can be driven in opposite directions. Thus, it is 90ssiple to regulate the speed of the driving shaft' absolutely symmetricallyI in both directions of rotation and to carry out this regulation with very great accuracy especially near the stopping position The two sun wheels can each be driven by av shaft of a stepless change gear. For example a chain gear with two adjustable pairs of conicalV discs andchain links.. running therebetween may be used as such a stepless change gear. If the driving motor only drives one of the shafts of o the change gear, then during the adjustment.

from the maximum speed in one direction tothe maximum speed in the other direction the turning moment on the driving lshaft of the gear changes corresponding to the varying diameter of the circularl path of the chain in proportion to the root of the regulating rangel of the gear.

'I'his objection can be overcome by driving the two shafts of the change gear simultaneously from a 'common source of power through theintermediary of a compensating gear This presents the further advantage that it is possible to transmit about double the eiliciency than that `which is possible when driving only one shaftl without altering the size of the change speed gear and that the'driving speed in both directions 'of rotation is regulated absolutely symmetrically to the zero position of the regulating element. s?

As willbe understood from the drawings, the device of the present invention comprises a change-speed gear characterized by the fact that the output drive shafts are driven through a differential gear, the sun wheels of which are driven with variable speeds, and the sun wheels of thediiferential gear are each driven by one of` the shafts ofthe continuously variable change-speed gear, which shafts are. in turn simultaneously driven by a common source of power through a second diierential gear.

While many forms of change-speed `Agearing v may be used, one suitable form 'which is illus- I trated herewith comprises two adjustable pairs oil'` conical discs with a drive element Such as a.

chain link belt running between'thcm.

` In the particular form` of the device shown herewith `a connectionbetween the two power branches of the transmission is provided which controls the 4speed 'of revolution of the two branches' and in this manner a different" speed of rotation of the power take-oir shaft is always 5 insured. -It is possible on the one hand to regulate the speed of the power` take-olf shaft through zero symmetrically on both sides of adjustment by means of the continuously variable regulating gear which may be a speed range on )0 one side, for instance of 1:4. The power which can be. transmitted at extreme speeds of rotation is approximately twice as great as that which could be transmitted 4with the same load on the regulating gearwhere only a single differential [5 gear isv used. For this reason'the structureof. A the present invention embodies the two differenftial gears shown and described in greater detail below.

0n theother hand the device of the present 20V present invention, therefore, permits a substan- 30 tial'reduction inthe size of the regulating gear necessary for a predetermined maximum power output or, conversely, Vpermits of a considerably i greater power output being transmitted `with a y given regulating gear.

'The invention is diagrammatically illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings in whichz- Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticv view showing the form of construction.

Flg. 2 is a longitudinal section through such 40 a gear, only the-two shafts Aof .the known step` less change conical disc gear are Ashown.-

Referring to Figure 1, a motor 3 drives the planet wheel carrier 4i ora differential gear.

'I 'he planet wheels 46 onthe planet wheel '.car- $5 rier mesh with two sun wheels 41 fand Il which are loosely mounted on the driving shaft 2 0i' the motor. The sun wheel 41 drives by a ring of teeth I9 a toothed wheel' SIIV which is keyed on a shaft 51 or a variable. speed chain belt gear 50.'

"able speedl gear 52. The two shafts 5| andl! I6 wheels 58 and 59 of another differential gear, the planet wheels 6| of which are mounted on a spindle 60' keyed onfshaft 21. "The sum of the numbers of revolutions of the two shafts 5| and 55 is determined by the running speed ofthe motor 3. On-the other hand, by adjusting the variable speed gear 52 by means of a regulating device 19, the ratio of the numbers vof revolutions of the shafts 5| and 55 can be changed so that the drive output shaft 21 can be adjusted to any speed in both directions of rotation.

In the form of construction shown in longitudinal section in Figure 2, the electric motor 3 is fixed on the gear casing I4. On the shaft 2 of this motor a disc 6| is keyed which forms part of the planet wheel carrier o f a differential gear, the planet wheels of which are toothed Wheels, the shafts of which run in ball bearings 66 and 61 in ring discs 68 and 59. The ringv discs are connected by a cylindrical wall with the disc 6| which has arms 63 extending outwardly between the planet wheels. The planet wheels 62 mounted on shafts 64 mesh with a ring of teeth 1| mounted on a hub 12 which runs -in ball bearings 13 on the shaft 2. The hub 12 carries a toothed wheel which drives a. change speed gear 52 through the intermediary .of a toothed wheel 50 on one of the shafts 5|. Correspondingly a second set of planet wheels (not shown) mesh with a ring of teeth 14 on a. hub 15 which runs in ball bearings 15 on the shaft 2. The hub 15 can-ies a toothed wheel 53 which drives the second shaft 55 of the change speedv gear 52 through a toothed wheel 54.

The two sun wheels'of a second differential gea-r are driven by the shafts 5| and 55, this gear corresponding. in its construction and operation to the differential gear which connects the shaft 2 to the shafts 5| and 55, and theplanet wheel carrier is connected with the output drive Shaft 21. The shaft 5| drives the one 'sun wheel having a ring of teeth I6 in the same direction by means of a chain belt drive 11, whereas the shaft 55 drives the other sun wheel |0 having the ringof teeth I5 in the opposite direction by means of a toothed wheel drive 18. The ring of teeth |5 meshes with toothed planet wheels l'l, the shafts .I8 of which are journalled by means of ball bearings I9 and 20 in two rings discs 2| and 22. In a similar manner the ring of teeth I6 meshes with other planet wheels (not shown) the shafts of which are also journalled in the two ring discs 2| and 22 and each of which also meshes withone of the planet wheels |1.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and inv what mannerthesame is to be performed,'I

declare that what I claixnisz- 1. A stepless change gear, comprising iny comdrive through bevel wheels 56 and 51/the two sun bination a compensating sun and planet wheel gear, a driving shaft connected to the planet system of said gear, a stepless variable gear having two shafts, each shaft adapted to drive one of the two sun wheels of said gear, a compensating .gear connected with both said last mentioned shafts and a common source of power adapted to drive both of said last mentioned shafts through the intermediary of said compensating gear.

2. A continuously variable change speed gear including a power source, an output shaft, a differential gear interposed between the two, a l

planetary gear system having sun wheels, means for driving said sun wheelsat variable speeds .by said driving means, the change speed Gear characterized by the fact that the two sun wheels of the differential gear are each driven by one of the shafts of a continuously variable change speed regulating gear, and that said shafts are in turn simultaneously 'driven by a common source of power through a second differential gear.

3. A continuously variable change speed gear.

including a power source, a power output shaft, ,a continuously l variable change speed gearing interposed between the two and comprising pairs of conical discs mounted on shafts to be moved toward and from each other, and a flexible driving element in contact with said discs, a differential gear interposed between said power source and said change speed gearing, a second differential interposed between;\said change speed gearing and said power output shaft, said differential gears including sun wheels, the mechanism characterized by the fact that the two sun wheels of the differential gear are each driven by a separate moving partiof the continuously variable change speed gearing, which parts are in turn simultaneously driven by the common power source ferential gears.

4. A continuously variable change speed gear, including a power source, va power output shaft, a continuously variable change speed gearing interposed between the two and comprising pairs of conical discs mounted on shafts to be moved toward and from each other, anda flexible driving element in contact with said discs, a differential gear interposed betweensaid power source and said change speed gearing, a second dif- `ferential interposed between said change speed gearing and said power output shaft,v said differential gears including'sun wheels, the mechanism characterized by the fact that the two Sun wheels of the differential gear are each driven by a separate shafty of the continuously variable AIBRECHT MAURER.

through one lof the dif-v 

